Happy 4th of July everyone! This morning, I went to the San Jose Rose Garden to watch the Independence Day parade (my first 4th of July parade ever!). There were live singers, cheerleaders, old VW microbuses, and even Santa Claus in the parade.
San Jose Municipal Rose Garden
There were all sorts of different roses!
A beautiful rose 🌹
For lunch we went to a Cambodian restaurant called Chez Sovan in San Jose. It was amazing! My first time having Cambodian food around here -- if you're ever in the Bay, I would recommend getting the Amok, which is steamed curry fish wrapped in banana leaves.
When waiting for the fireworks, we had a picnic with sandwiches, hummus (!!), and lots of chips and popcorn. People were playing music, sports, and just hanging out while waiting.
Finally, at 9:30pm, the fireworks show started! It lasted for about 10 minutes, with special fireworks like hearts and smiley faces decorating the show. I especially love the golden fizzy fireworks. Happy Birthday America! 🎉
Unlike many students, I never had the opportunity to visit Caltech before enrolling. I had visited California once in elementary school, and the first time I returned was to move in for college. The only time I had ever left home before was for a week or two of sleepaway camp. Now, I would be moving across the country to a place I had never seen before with a bunch of strangers. Naturally, I was a bit terrified.
…Or, How a Disciple of Bethany Ehlmann, a Former Desert Militiaman, Moore Lab Subbasement Dwellers, Roblox’s Newest Intern, a Florida Man, and a Luminous Plasma Scientist Went to War with the Caltech Mail Center, Got Double-Crossed by AirGas Corp., Survived Three COVID Outbreaks, and Nearly Stranded Themselves in the Mojave in order to Send a Bag of Peanuts to Space (A True Story).
Every midterm week and final week, Page House Peer Advocates (PAs) put on a de-stressing event. This term for midterms, the PAs hosted a painting night in conjunction with a Page dessert night. (Every Thursday, the House gives $60 to a pageboy (a member of Page) to buy a bunch of dessert and snacks for the house for dessert night.). They provided canvases, paint brushes, and a variety of paint colors for the night. It was a really fun and relaxing time to stop working on sets or studying for midterms for a bit and hangout with friends.
On the weekend of April 16th, my friends and I participated in the first ever Southern California College Poker Tournament! The tournament was for college students in the SoCal area with a $0 buy-in that doubled as a recruiting event for quant and finance firms. A senior friend of mine (Vanessa, a fellow blogger) put together a team of five girls who had no interest in being recruited and just wanted to have fun playing poker.
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